Control system and control method

Abstract

Provided are a control system and a control method which are capable of appropriately managing an event file necessary for a user. A control system (10) according to the present disclosure comprises: a calculation unit (11) that, on the basis of an image including an immovable impact object that is present on a road surface and that will cause an impact to a vehicle, calculates an impact object passage time indicating the time from the current time until the vehicle passes over the impact object; and a control unit (12) that, on the basis of the impact object passage time, either controls a recording device after the passage over the impact object so that an event record corresponding to the impact object passage time is deleted, or controls the recording device before the passage over the impact object so that no event recording process is performed.

Description

Control system and control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system and a control method.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an impact detection malfunction prevention device that can prevent the recording of an event file when an impact that is not the result of an accident is detected. The impact detection malfunction prevention device disclosed in Patent Document 1 registers a location where impacts have been detected a predetermined number of times or more, regardless of whether they are accidents, as an impact detection malfunction location, and prevents the recording of an event file from being performed at the impact detection malfunction location.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-134910

[0004] The shock detection malfunction prevention device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 cannot prevent the recording of event files unrelated to the accident unless the location is registered in advance as a shock detection malfunction location, which results in the recording of event files unrelated to the accident, making it difficult for the user to find the event file they need.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a control system and a control method that can appropriately manage event files required by a user.

[0006] The control system according to this embodiment is a control system for controlling a recording device that executes an event recording process in response to the detection of an impact to a vehicle, and comprises: a calculation unit that calculates an impact object passing time, which indicates the time from the current time until the vehicle passes over an impact object, based on an image including an immovable impact object present on the road surface that will cause an impact to the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the recording device based on the impact object passing time so as to delete the event record for the impact object passing time after the impact object passes, or not execute the event recording process before the impact object passes.

[0007] The control method according to this embodiment is a control method for controlling a recording device that executes an event recording process in response to the detection of an impact to a vehicle, and the computer executes the following process: based on an image including an immovable impact object present on the road surface that will cause an impact to the vehicle, calculates an impact object passing time indicating the time from the current time until the vehicle passes over the impact object; and based on the impact object passing time, controls the recording device so as to delete the event record for the impact object passing time after the impact object passes or not execute the event recording process before the impact object passes.

[0008] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide a control system and a control method that can appropriately manage event files required by a user.

[0009] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a state when a vehicle passes over a step. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating whether or not an impact is detected depending on the vehicle speed and the height of an impacting object. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating whether or not an impact is detected depending on the vehicle speed and the vehicle weight. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state when a vehicle passes over a step. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating whether or not an impact is detected depending on the vehicle speed and the height of an impacting object. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating whether or not an impact is detected depending on the vehicle speed and the vehicle weight.

[0010] The present disclosure will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential means for solving the problems. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) <Control System> A control system according to embodiment 1 will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, a control system 10 includes a calculation unit 11 and a control unit 12.

[0012] The control system 10 controls a recording device that executes an event recording process in response to the detection of a vehicle impact. The event recording process is a process in which, when an impact is detected while the vehicle is traveling and the impact value exceeds a set sensor threshold, a camera video file and sensor values ​​at the time of impact detection are recorded as a short-term event file separate from normal recording. The recording destination is a storage unit (not shown) inside or outside the control system 10. The event file is stored, for example, in an event folder in the storage unit. As will be described in detail below, the control system 10 calculates the impacting object passing time from the image, and, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impacting object, controls the recording device 13 to delete the event record for the impacting object passing time, which is the event record when the vehicle passed the impacting object.

[0013] The control system 10 is configured to be able to communicate with the recording device 13. The recording device 13 executes an event recording process. The recording device 13 is, for example, a drive recorder. However, the configuration is not limited to one in which the control system 10 and the recording device 13 are able to communicate with each other, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1 , and the recording device 13 may be configured to include the calculation unit 11 and the control unit 12 of the control system 10.

[0014] Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the recording device 13 includes a part of the control system 10 (one of the calculation unit 11 and the control unit 12), and a server (not shown) includes a part of the control system 10 (the other of the calculation unit 11 and the control unit 12), thereby executing distributed processing. The calculation unit 11 and the control unit 12 shown in Fig. 1 will be described in detail below. Note that the control system 10 will be described as controlling a drive recorder.

[0015] <Calculation of Impact Object Passing Time> First, the calculation unit 11 will be described. The calculation unit 11 calculates an impact object passing time indicating the time from the current time until the vehicle passes over the impact object, based on an image including an impact object that will cause an impact to the vehicle. The impact object typically refers to an immovable impact object that is installed, fixed, or formed on the road surface, but may also be a road surface including irregularities, and is not limited thereto, and may also include objects that may cause an impact when the vehicle passes over them, such as speed bumps, stones, and road surfaces with steps.

[0016] A method for calculating the impact object passing time will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state when a vehicle passes over a step. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle C1 is about to pass over a step IP1 located ahead. The step IP1 is an example of an impact object. The calculation unit 11 calculates the distance from point S1 to point S2 and the distance from point S2 to point S3 by analyzing an image including the step IP1. Point S1 indicates the current position of the vehicle C1, point S2 indicates the position of the step closest to point S1, and point S3 indicates the position of the step farthest from point S2. Note that the current position of the vehicle C1 refers to the position where the vehicle C1 is located when the process of calculating the impact object passing time is started.

[0017] Here, the vehicle C1 can acquire information about the vehicle speed from position information such as GPS. Then, the calculation unit 11 (control system 10) acquires information about the vehicle speed from the vehicle C1. The calculation unit 11 can calculate the travel time for that distance by dividing the distance by the vehicle speed. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the calculation unit 11 divides the distance from point S1 to point S2 by the vehicle speed to calculate 3 seconds. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 2 , the calculation unit 11 divides the distance from point S2 to point S3 by the vehicle speed to calculate 1 second. In this way, the calculation unit 11 can calculate the impact object passing time, which indicates the time it takes for the vehicle C1 to pass over the bump IP1, to be 4 seconds.

[0018] In addition, the calculation unit 11 may compare the distance from point S1 to point S2 and the distance from point S2 to point S3 obtained from the image with the value obtained from the distance sensor installed on the vehicle C1 to improve the accuracy of the distance calculation.

[0019] <Control of Drive Recorder> Next, the control unit 12 will be described. The control unit 12 controls the drive recorder so that, a predetermined time after the vehicle passes through the impact object, the event record of the vehicle passing through the impact object, which corresponds to the time when the impact object was passed, is deleted from the event records of the drive recorder. Note that the event record is a so-called overwrite-prohibited record.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 2, the control of the drive recorder by the control unit 12 will be described. In FIG. 2, the drive recorder executes an event recording process during the four seconds of the impact object passing time, in other words, when the vehicle C1 passes through the section from point S1 to point S3. As a result, the event records for the four seconds of the impact object passing time are recorded in the storage unit (not shown in FIG. 1) as event records of when the vehicle passed the impact object. The control unit 12 then controls the drive recorder to delete the event records for the four seconds of the impact object passing time after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object. The predetermined time may be, for example, two seconds after the impact object has passed, or may be set arbitrarily. In this way, the drive recorder executes a recording process for an event file unrelated to the accident, and the event file is temporarily recorded in the drive recorder. However, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object, the event file unrelated to the accident is deleted from the drive recorder.

[0021] The control of the drive recorder by the control unit 12 will be described using another example. Although not shown in FIG. 2 , assume that the vehicle C1 makes contact with another vehicle before arriving at point S1 and continues traveling in that state. Then, assume that the vehicle C1 passes over a bump IP1 shown in FIG. 2 . In this case, the drive recorder executes an event recording process for an event file when the vehicle C1 makes contact with another vehicle and an event file when the vehicle C1 passes over bump IP1. In other words, the drive recorder records an event file when the vehicle C1 makes contact with another vehicle and an event file when the vehicle C1 passes over bump IP1. The former is an event file related to an accident. The latter is an event file unrelated to an accident. The control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the latter event file after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle C1 passed over bump IP1. As a result, the event file when the vehicle C1 made contact with another vehicle remains in the drive recorder after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle C1 passed over bump IP1.

[0022] If an event file unrelated to the accident is recorded and not deleted, it will take up space in the event folder of the storage unit (not shown in FIG. 1). Generally, event folders are not overwritten, so when free space runs out, the user must organize the files. However, in the control system 10 according to the first embodiment, even if an event file unrelated to the accident is stored in the event folder, it is deleted a predetermined time after the vehicle passes over the impact object, so it does not take up space. Furthermore, the user can easily find the event file they need, for example, an event file related to the accident.

[0023] The timing at which the control unit 12 deletes the event record in the drive recorder may be any timing as long as the vehicle has passed through the impact object. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the event record when the vehicle C1 passes through the step IP1, which is the 4-second time it took to pass through the impact object, may be deleted at any timing after the vehicle C1 has passed the point S3.

[0024] The drive recorder may record not only the 4 seconds of impact object passing time, but also the impact object passing start time (e.g., July 16th, 10:30:30) and the impact object passing end time (e.g., July 16th, 10:30:34). In this case, the control unit 12 performs the following process, for example, at July 17th, 10:30:30, 24 hours after the impact object passing start time (July 16th, 10:30:30). The control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the 4-second event file from the impact object passing start time, July 16th, 10:30:30, to the impact object passing end time, July 16th, 10:30:34.

[0025] Furthermore, because the control unit 12 controls the deletion of event records from the drive recorder using the impacting object passing time calculated in real time by the calculation unit 11, historical information recording whether or not past event recording was performed is not required, as in the prior art. Therefore, the control system 10 can accurately identify event files unrelated to accidents. Furthermore, by deleting event files unrelated to accidents, the control system 10 allows event files necessary for the user, such as event files related to accidents, to remain in the event folder, allowing the control system 10 to appropriately manage necessary event files.

[0026] Here, an example has been described in which the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete event records for the four seconds of the impact object passing time. However, this is not limited thereto, and the control unit 12 may also control the drive recorder to delete event records for a time period that extends or shortens the impact object passing time. With this configuration, when the calculation unit 11 calculates the impact object passing time, it identifies the current position S1 as the calculation start point, the impact object position S2 including the step IP1 in front of the vehicle, and the point S3 after the impact object has passed based on images. However, this configuration can also accommodate cases where image clarity is reduced. Furthermore, because the calculation unit 11 receives vehicle speed information of the vehicle C1 from GPS location information, it can also accommodate cases where accurate time calculation is difficult due to poor reception conditions.

[0027] In this way, the control unit 12 may be configured to control the drive recorder so that, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed through the impact object, the event record when the vehicle passed through the impact object, which is the event record for the time during which the impact object was passed or the time when the impact object was extended or shortened, is deleted.

[0028] When the control system 10 (control unit 12) acquires information about the surrounding environment where accidents frequently occur, such as traffic lights, crosswalks, and intersections, from the vehicle's environmental sensors, the control system 10 (control unit 12) may control the drive recorder so that the event record is not deleted after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed over an impact object. By configuring in this way, the control system 10 can leave the event file in the event folder if there is a risk of an accident.

[0029] Furthermore, the control system 10 (control unit 12) may execute the following control if the image shows the vehicle stopped or a person or object coming into contact with the vehicle before a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed an impact object. The control system 10 (control unit 12) may control the drive recorder so that the event record is not deleted after the predetermined time has elapsed. That is, the control system 10 determines that the event file may be necessary for the user, and leaves the event file in the event folder without deleting it from the drive recorder.

[0030] <Control Method> Next, a description will be given of a control method according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the first embodiment.

[0031] First, the control system 10 determines whether an impact object is included in the image captured by the drive recorder (step ST1). If an impact object is included in the image captured by the drive recorder (step ST1: YES), the control system 10 (calculation unit 11) calculates an impact object passing time indicating the time it takes for the vehicle to pass through the impact object based on the image containing the impact object that caused the impact on the vehicle (step ST2). On the other hand, if an impact object is not included in the image captured by the drive recorder (step ST1: NO), the process of step ST1 is repeatedly executed.

[0032] Following step ST2, the recording device 13 executes an event recording process in response to the detection of a vehicle impact (step ST3). The event file recorded by the recording device 13 is stored in an event folder in the storage unit (not shown in FIG. 1).

[0033] Next, the control unit 12 controls the recording device 13 to delete the event record of when the vehicle passed the impact object, which is the event record for the time period during which the vehicle passed the impact object, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object (step ST4).

[0034] As described above, in the control method according to the first embodiment, in step ST3, a recording process for an event file unrelated to an accident is executed, and the event file is temporarily recorded in the drive recorder. Then, in step ST4, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object, the event file unrelated to the accident is deleted from the drive recorder. Therefore, in the control method according to the first embodiment, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object, necessary event files, for example, event files related to the accident, remain in the drive recorder. This allows the user to easily find the necessary event files.

[0035] (Embodiment 2) <Height of Impacting Object> A control system according to embodiment 2 will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to embodiment 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the control system 20 includes an analysis unit 14, a calculation unit 11, and a control unit 12. Like the control system 10 according to embodiment 1, the control system 20 is configured to be able to communicate with the recording device 13. The calculation unit 11 and the recording device 13 are the same as those in embodiment 1, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. Here, the analysis unit 14 and the control unit 12 will be described. In embodiment 2, as in embodiment 1, the recording device 13 will be described as a drive recorder.

[0036] The analysis unit 14 analyzes information regarding the height of the impacting object from the image. Then, when the analysis unit 14 determines that the height of the impacting object is less than a predetermined value but greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the event record for the time period during which the vehicle passed the impacting object after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impacting object, which event record corresponds to the time period during which the impacting object passed. Here, the height of the impacting object being less than the predetermined value may be, for example, the vehicle's ground clearance (also known as road clearance). The height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 being greater than or equal to the predetermined value may be, for example, a height of the impacting object that can be arbitrarily set by the user, or may be a recommended value that does not cause a large impact (i.e., is not related to an accident) based on past impact records and statistics. Note that, when the analysis unit 14 determines that the height of the impacting object is less than the predetermined value but within a predetermined range, the control unit 12 preferably controls the drive recorder to delete the event record for the time period during which the vehicle passed the impacting object after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impacting object. For example, assume that the vehicle's ground clearance is 15 cm and the height of the impacting object is 14 cm. In this case, since there is a possibility that the event file will be related to an accident such as a vehicle breakdown, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder not to delete the event record if the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is less than a predetermined value and the height of the impacting object is between 10 cm and 15 cm. Also, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the event record if the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is less than the predetermined value and is within a predetermined range below 10 cm.

[0037] <Control of the Drive Recorder Based on the Height of the Impacting Object> With reference to FIG. 5 , an example of the control of the drive recorder by the control unit 12 based on information about the height of the impacting object will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing whether or not impact detection occurs depending on the vehicle speed and the height of the impacting object. Generally, the faster the vehicle speed, the more likely the vehicle is to receive an impact even if the height of the impacting object is low. FIG. 5 shows the boundary within which the drive recorder detects an impact. In FIG. 5 , if the point plotting the vehicle speed and the height of the impacting object falls within region R1, the drive recorder will not detect an impact even if the vehicle receives an impact from the impacting object. On the other hand, if the point plotting the vehicle speed and the impacting object falls within region R2, the drive recorder will detect an impact when the vehicle receives an impact from the impacting object.

[0038] In other words, if the point on which the vehicle speed and the height of the impacting object are plotted falls within region R1, the drive recorder does not detect an impact and therefore does not execute the event recording process. Therefore, the control unit 12 does not control the drive recorder. On the other hand, if the point on which the vehicle speed and the height of the impacting object are plotted falls within region R2, the drive recorder detects an impact. Therefore, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the event record for the time period during which the vehicle passed the impacting object, which is the event record when the vehicle passed the impacting object, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impacting object.

[0039] The control system 20 acquires information about the vehicle speed from the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle speed is 60 km / h, the control unit 12 determines from FIG. 5 that the height of the impacting object that controls the drive recorder is 10 mm or more. Based on the information about the height of the impacting object from the analysis unit 14, the control unit 12 determines that the height of the impacting object is 10 mm or more and falls within region R2. Therefore, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the event record for the time the impacting object passed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impacting object. For example, when the vehicle speed is 80 km / h, even if the height of the impacting object is 10 mm as shown in FIG. 5, if the height falls within region R2, which detects an impact, the control unit 12 initially records the event, but then controls the drive recorder to delete the event record for the time the impacting object passed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impacting object.

[0040] Here, the control unit 12 may control the drive recorder based on information about the height of the impacting object stored in a memory unit that stores whether or not an event recording process is being performed. Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a control system according to a second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the control system 21 includes a memory unit 15, an analysis unit 14, a calculation unit 11, and a control unit 12. The configuration other than the memory unit 15 and the control unit 12 shown in Fig. 6 is the same as that shown in Fig. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Here, the memory unit 15 and the control unit 12 will be described in detail.

[0041] The storage unit 15 stores whether or not to execute the event recording process depending on the height of the impacting object. This will be described in more detail with reference to Table 1. Table 1 is an example of a list of information related to the height of the impacting object stored in the storage unit 15. The purpose of Table 1 is to explain whether or not to execute the event recording process depending on the height and shape of the impacting object, and the height and shape are not limited.

[0042]

[0043] As shown in Table 1, the memory unit 15 stores whether or not the event recording process is executed depending on the height of the impacting object. In the example shown in Table 1, the memory unit 15 also stores the shape of the impacting object linked to the height of the impacting object. For example, Table 1 indicates that the event recording process is executed when the height of the impacting object is 5 mm and the shape of the impacting object is flat. Table 1 also indicates that the event recording process is not executed when the height of the impacting object is 3 mm and the shape of the impacting object is flat. Note that the minimum ground clearance of the vehicle that is considered to be less than a predetermined value for the height of the impacting object is also stored in the memory unit 15, but the minimum ground clearance of the vehicle may also be stored in the analysis unit 14.

[0044] The control unit 12 controls the drive recorder as follows, based on the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 and the information in Table 1 pre-stored in the memory unit 15. If the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is less than the predetermined height at which the event recording process is being executed in the memory unit 15, but is equal to or greater than the height of the impacting object, the control unit 12 performs the following control: The control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the event record when the vehicle passes over the impacting object, which is the event record for the time period during which the impacting object passed over the vehicle.

[0045] For example, if the analysis unit 14 determines that the height of the impacting object is 4 mm, the impacting object event detection process is executed based on Table 1. Therefore, the control unit 12 controls the deletion of event records for the time when the vehicle passed the impacting object, which are the event records for the time when the impacting object passed, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impacting object. As a result, the control system 21 deletes event files unrelated to the accident, leaving necessary event files, such as event files related to the accident, in the event folder. This allows the control system 21 to properly manage necessary event files. Furthermore, the user can easily find the event files they need.

[0046] Furthermore, when the analysis unit 14 stores multiple heights of the impacting object in the memory unit 15, the control unit 12 may identify a shape from the memory unit that is identical or similar to the shape of the impacting object contained in the image and control the drive recorder. For example, if the analysis unit 14 determines that the height of the impacting object is 3 mm, in the example shown in Table 1, two event recording processes for a height of 3 mm are stored in the memory unit. In this case, the control unit 12 acquires information about the shape of the impacting object contained in the image from the analysis unit 14. The control unit 12 then determines whether an event recording process has been performed for an impacting object having a shape identical or similar to the shape acquired by the analysis unit 14. For example, if the shape acquired by the analysis unit 14 is an uneven shape, Table 1 shows that an event detection process has been performed for an impacting object with a height of 3 mm and an uneven shape. Therefore, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the event record for the time period during which the vehicle passed the impacting object after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impacting object, which is the event record for the time period during which the impacting object passed.

[0047] In addition, if the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is not stored in the memory unit 15, the control unit 12 may control the drive recorder based on whether or not to perform an event recording process according to the height value determined by the analysis unit 14 that is closest to the height of the impacting object.

[0048] The control unit 12 does not control the drive recorder if the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is equal to or less than the height of the impacting object for which the event recording process has not been executed in the memory unit. This is because the drive recorder does not execute the event recording process if the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is equal to or less than the height of the impacting object for which the event recording process has not been executed in the memory unit.

[0049] In this way, the control systems 20 and 21 according to the second embodiment perform control so that when the height of the impacting object as determined by the analysis unit 14 is less than a predetermined value and greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the event record when the vehicle passes through the impacting object, which is the event record for the time it took for the impacting object to pass, is deleted after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed through the impacting object.

[0050] The control systems 20 and 21 also set predetermined criteria, such as those shown in FIG. 6 or Table 1, and control the drive recorder based on the height information of the impacting object obtained by the analysis unit 14. In conventional technology, even if a location is registered as an impact detection malfunction location, if the road surface shape changes due to construction, a disaster, or other reasons, an impact is detected and an event recording process is executed, resulting in a load on the event folder in the storage unit (not shown in FIG. 6). However, once the control systems 20 and 21 set predetermined criteria, even if event files unrelated to accidents are stored, they are deleted based on the predetermined criteria. In other words, even if event files unrelated to accidents are stored in the event folder, they are deleted a predetermined time after the vehicle passes the impacting object, so they do not load capacity. Furthermore, the user can easily find necessary event files, such as event files related to accidents. The control systems 20 and 21 may also acquire the magnitude of the impact when passing the impacting object and store information linking the height of the impacting object and the magnitude of the impact. The control systems 20, 21 may be configured to delete the event record for the time during which the impact object passed after a predetermined time has elapsed for the height of the detected impact object if the impact value is below a predetermined value.

[0051] The control system 21 may be configured to store the position information, shape, and height of the impacting object in the memory unit 15. By using such a configuration, the control system 21 can further improve the accuracy of the predetermined standard. The control system 21 may also capture images of the impacting object before it passes using the front camera of the drive recorder and images of the impacting object after it passes using the rear camera of the drive recorder. This allows the control system 21 to more accurately recognize the height, shape, etc. of the impacting object and store them in the memory unit 15, thereby further improving the accuracy of the predetermined standard. All or part of the control system 21 may be configured as a server (not shown).

[0052] <Control Method> Next, a control method according to the second embodiment will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the second embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 7 differs from the flowchart shown in Fig. 3 in that steps ST11 and ST12 are executed. The other processes are the same as those in Fig. 3, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] Following step ST1, the control system 20 (21) analyzes information about the height of the impacting object from the image (step ST11). Here, the height of the impacting object that is less than a predetermined height, for example, less than the vehicle's minimum ground clearance, is analyzed. The control system 20 (21) then determines whether the analyzed height of the impacting object is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step ST12).

[0054] When the control system 20 (21) determines that the height of the impacting object analyzed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (YES in step ST12), the control system 20 (21) executes the processing from step ST2 onward. That is, the control system 20 (21) controls the drive recorder so that, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed over the impacting object, the event record when the vehicle passed over the impacting object, which is the event record for the time during which the impacting object was passed over, is deleted.

[0055] On the other hand, if the control system 20 (21) does not determine that the height of the impacting object analyzed is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (NO in step ST12), the control system 20 (21) repeats the process from step ST1. In other words, the control system 20 (21) does not control the drive recorder.

[0056] (Embodiment 3) <Vehicle Information> A control system according to embodiment 3 will be described. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to embodiment 3. As shown in FIG. 8, the control system 30 includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 16, a calculation unit 11, and a control unit 12. As in embodiments 1 and 2, the control system 30 is configured to be able to communicate with the recording device 13. The calculation unit 11 and the recording device 13 are similar to those in embodiments 1 and 2, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. Here, the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 and the control unit 12 will be described. As in embodiments 1 and 2, the recording device 13 will be described as a drive recorder in embodiment 3. Furthermore, all or part of the control system 30 may be configured as a server (not shown).

[0057] The vehicle information acquisition unit 16 acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle. The vehicle information includes, for example, information related to the vehicle class and weight. For example, the vehicle information is a "1,500 kg standard car" or a "13 ton dump truck." Based on the vehicle information, the control unit 12 performs control to delete an event record when the vehicle passes through an impact object, the event record corresponding to the time during which the vehicle passed through the impact object.

[0058] <Control of Drive Recorder Based on Vehicle Information> An example of the control of the drive recorder by the control unit 12 based on vehicle information will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing whether or not impact detection occurs depending on vehicle speed and vehicle weight. Generally, the faster the vehicle speed, the more impact the vehicle receives, even if the vehicle weight is lighter. FIG. 9 shows the boundary within which the drive recorder detects an impact. In FIG. 9 , if the point plotted with vehicle speed and vehicle weight falls within region R3, the drive recorder does not detect an impact even if the vehicle receives an impact from an impacting object. On the other hand, if the point plotted with vehicle speed and vehicle weight falls within region R4, the drive recorder detects an impact when the vehicle receives an impact from an impacting object.

[0059] That is, when the point where the vehicle speed and vehicle weight are plotted is included in region R3, the drive recorder does not detect an impact and therefore does not execute the event recording process, and therefore the control unit 12 does not control the drive recorder. On the other hand, when the point where the vehicle speed and vehicle weight are plotted is included in region R4, the drive recorder detects an impact, and therefore the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the event record for the time period during which the vehicle passed the impact object, which is the event record when the vehicle passed the impact object, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object.

[0060] The control system 30 acquires information about the vehicle speed from the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle speed is 60 km / h, the control unit 12 determines from Fig. 9 that the vehicle weight for controlling the drive recorder is 1200 kg or more. If the information about the vehicle weight from the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 is 1500 kg, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the event record for the time period during which the vehicle passed the impact object, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object, since the vehicle weight is included in region R4.

[0061] Here, the control unit 12 may control the event recording process based on information about the vehicle stored in a storage unit that stores whether or not the event recording process is being executed. Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a control system according to a third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the control system 31 includes a storage unit 17, a vehicle information acquisition unit 16, a calculation unit 11, and a control unit 12. The configuration other than the storage unit 17 and the control unit 12 shown in Fig. 10 is the same as that in Fig. 8, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. Here, the storage unit 17 and the control unit 12 will be described in detail.

[0062] The storage unit 17 stores information about the vehicle, indicating whether or not the event recording process has been executed. This will be described in more detail with reference to Table 2. Table 2 is an example of a list of information about the vehicle stored in the storage unit 17.

[0063]

[0064] As shown in Table 2, the storage unit 17 stores whether or not the event recording process is to be performed depending on the vehicle weight. In the example shown in Table 2, the storage unit 17 also stores the vehicle shape and vehicle speed in association with the vehicle weight. The storage unit 17 may also store the minimum ground clearance. For example, Table 2 indicates that the event recording process is performed when the vehicle weight is 13 tons, the vehicle shape is a dump truck, and the vehicle speed is 50 km / h.

[0065] The control unit 12 controls the drive recorder based on information regarding vehicle weight acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 and information regarding vehicle speed acquired by the control system 31. For example, assume that the control unit 12 acquires information regarding vehicle weight, such as "13 tons," and information regarding vehicle speed, such as "50 km / h." In this case, since the control unit 12 executes the event recording process according to Table 2, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to delete the event record for the time period during which the vehicle passed the impact object after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object. As a result, the control system 31 deletes event files unrelated to the accident, leaving necessary event files, such as event files related to the accident, in the event folder. This allows the control system 31 to appropriately manage necessary event files. Furthermore, the user can easily find necessary event files, such as event files related to the accident.

[0066] In addition, if the information regarding the vehicle weight acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 is not stored in the memory unit 17, the control unit 12 may control the drive recorder based on whether or not to execute an event recording process according to the vehicle weight that is closest to the acquired vehicle weight.

[0067] Note that the control unit 12 does not control the drive recorder if the information on vehicle weight acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 and the information on vehicle speed acquired by the control system 31 are vehicle weight and vehicle speed for which the event recording process has not been executed in the storage unit 17. This is because the event recording process is not executed in the drive recorder in this case.

[0068] In this way, the control systems 30 and 31 according to the third embodiment control the drive recorder to enter a non-recording period based on vehicle information. Even if the impacting object is the same, the impact on the vehicle will differ depending on the vehicle size, load, and speed. Therefore, the control systems 30 and 31 can more reliably delete event files unrelated to accidents. This allows event files related to accidents to remain in the event folder, enabling appropriate management of the event files. Furthermore, the user can easily find the event files they need, such as event files related to accidents.

[0069] Naturally, the control systems 30, 31 may further include the aforementioned analysis unit 14, and may control the drive recorder to delete the event records for the time the impact object passed based on information regarding the height of the impact object and vehicle information.

[0070] <Control Method> Next, a control method according to the third embodiment will be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the third embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 11 differs from the flowchart shown in Fig. 3 in that steps ST111 and ST112 are executed. The other processes are the same as those in Fig. 3, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. Note that, as described above, the description will be made on the assumption that information related to the vehicle speed has been acquired from the vehicle.

[0071] Following step ST1, the control system 30 (31) acquires information about the vehicle weight (step ST111). Then, the control system 30 (31) acquires a vehicle weight threshold value that serves as a criterion for controlling the drive recorder based on the vehicle speed (step ST112). Then, the control system 30 (31) determines whether the vehicle weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value of step ST112 (step ST113).

[0072] When the control system 30 (31) determines that the vehicle weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value in step ST112 (YES in step ST113), the control system 30 (31) executes the processing from step ST2 onward. That is, the control system 30 (31) controls the drive recorder so that, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed through the impact object, the event record when the vehicle passed through the impact object, which is for the time period during which the vehicle passed through the impact object, is deleted.

[0073] On the other hand, if the control system 30 (31) does not determine that the vehicle weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value in step ST112 (NO in step ST113), the control system 30 (31) repeats the process from step ST1. In other words, the control system 30 (31) does not control the drive recorder.

[0074] In the control systems according to the first to third embodiments, the recording process of event files unrelated to accidents is executed and temporarily recorded in the recording device, but after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed over the impact object, the event files unrelated to accidents are deleted from the recording device. By adopting such a configuration, the event files necessary for the user can be appropriately managed.

[0075] (Embodiment 4) <Control System> A control system according to embodiment 4 will be described. The control system according to embodiment 4 includes a calculation unit 11 and a control unit 12, similar to the control system according to embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 1. Hereinafter, the control system according to embodiment 4 will be referred to as control system 40.

[0076] The control system 40 controls the event recording process associated with the detection of a vehicle impact. The event recording process is a process in which, when an impact is detected while the vehicle is traveling and the impact value exceeds a set sensor threshold, the camera video file and sensor value at the time of impact detection are recorded as a short-term event file separate from normal recording. The recording destination is a memory unit (not shown) inside or outside the control system 40. The event file is stored, for example, in an event folder in the memory unit. The control system 40 calculates the impacting object passage time from the image and controls the event recording process based on the impacting object passage time to enter a non-recording period during which the event recording process is not performed.

[0077] The control system 40 is configured to be able to communicate with the recording device 13. The recording device 13 executes an event recording process. The recording device 13 is, for example, a drive recorder, and the control system 40 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder. However, the configuration is not limited to one in which the control system 40 and the recording device 13 are able to communicate with each other, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1 , and the recording device 13 may also be configured to include the calculation unit 11 and control unit 12 of the control system 40.

[0078] Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the recording device 13 includes a part of the control system 40 (one of the calculation unit 11 and the control unit 12), and a server (not shown) includes a part of the control system 40 (the other of the calculation unit 11 and the control unit 12), thereby executing distributed processing. The calculation unit 11 and the control unit 12 shown in FIG. 1 in the control system 40 will be described in detail below. Note that the control system 40 will be described as controlling the event recording process of the drive recorder.

[0079] <Calculation of Impact Object Passing Time> First, the calculation unit 11 will be described. The calculation unit 11 calculates an impact object passing time indicating the time from the current time until the vehicle passes over the impact object, based on an image including an impact object that will cause an impact to the vehicle. The impact object typically refers to an immovable, stationary impact object that is installed, fixed, or formed on the road surface, but may also be a road surface including irregularities, and includes, but is not limited to, objects that may cause an impact when the vehicle passes over them, such as speed bumps, stones, and road surfaces with steps.

[0080] The method for calculating the impact object passing time is the same as that explained in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here.

[0081] <Control of Event Recording Process> Next, the control unit 12 will be described. The control unit 12 controls the event recording process so that a non-recording period is entered before the vehicle passes over the impact object, based on the impact object passing time, during which the event recording process is not executed. During the non-recording period, the event recording process is not executed, but impact detection can be performed. Note that the event recording is what is known as non-overwriteable recording.

[0082] In other words, the non-recording period is a period during which, if the vehicle receives an impact from an impacting object, an impact is detected but the event recording process is not executed. Furthermore, during the non-recording period, the event recording process is not executed, but normal recording (so-called overwritable continuous recording) is executed. Therefore, even if an accident occurs during the non-recording period, the user can view the video images that were normally recorded.

[0083] A method for controlling the event recording process will now be described. In Fig. 2, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder to enter a non-recording period during the four seconds it takes for the impact object to pass, during which no event processing is performed. This prevents the recording of event files unrelated to the accident from being performed.

[0084] When the recording process for event files unrelated to accidents is executed, it consumes the capacity of the event folder in the storage unit (not shown in FIG. 1). Generally, event folders are not overwritten, so when free space runs out, the user must organize the files. However, in the control system 40 according to the first embodiment, event files unrelated to accidents are not stored in the event folder, so capacity is not consumed. Furthermore, the user can easily find the event files they need, for example, event files related to accidents.

[0085] Furthermore, the control unit 12 controls the drive recorder not to perform event recording processing using the impacting object passing time calculated in real time by the calculation unit 11, so there is no need for history information recording whether or not past event recording was performed, as in the prior art. Thus, the control system 40 can more reliably prevent the recording processing of event files unrelated to accidents from being performed.

[0086] Here, an example has been described in which the control unit 12 controls the impact object passing time to be a non-recording period during which no event processing is performed by the drive recorder for four seconds. However, this is not limited to this, and the control unit 12 may control the impact object passing time to be a non-recording period during which no event processing is performed by the drive recorder, extending or shortening the impact object passing time. In this way, when the calculation unit 11 calculates the impact object passing time, the current position S1 as the calculation start point, the position S2 of the impact object including the step IP1 in front of the vehicle, and the position S3 after the impact object has passed are identified based on images. However, this can also be used in situations where precise time calculation is difficult due to reduced image clarity or poor reception conditions, as the vehicle speed information of the vehicle C1 is received from GPS location information.

[0087] In this way, the control unit 12 may be configured to control the event recording process of the drive recorder so that a non-recording period occurs during the impact object passing time or a time obtained by extending or shortening the impact object passing time before the vehicle passes over the impact object. A method for the control unit 12 to control the drive recorder so that the event recording process is executed again will be described later using a flowchart.

[0088] Note that when the control system 40 acquires information about the surrounding environment where accidents frequently occur, such as traffic lights, crosswalks, and intersections, from the vehicle's environmental sensors, it is not necessary to control the drive recorder to enter a non-recording period in which event recording processing is not performed. By configuring in this way, the control system 40 can record an event file when there is a risk of an accident.

[0089] <Control Method> Next, a description will be given of a control method according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the fourth embodiment.

[0090] First, the control system 40 determines whether an impact object is included in the image captured by the drive recorder (step ST1). If an impact object is included in the image captured by the drive recorder (step ST1: YES), the control system 40 (calculation unit 11) calculates an impact object passing time indicating the time it takes for the vehicle to pass through the impact object based on the image containing the impact object that caused the impact on the vehicle (step ST2). On the other hand, if an impact object is not included in the image captured by the drive recorder (step ST1: NO), the process of step ST1 is repeatedly executed.

[0091] Following step ST2, the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder so that a non-recording period is entered in which no event recording process is performed based on the impact object passing time before the vehicle passes the impact object (step ST3).

[0092] Next, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the vehicle has detected an impact (step ST4). If the vehicle has detected an impact (step ST4 YES), the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder so that the event recording process of the drive recorder is executed again (step ST6).

[0093] On the other hand, if the vehicle does not detect an impact (step ST4 NO), the control unit 12 determines whether the impact object passing time has elapsed (step ST5). If the impact object passing time has elapsed (step ST5 YES), the control unit 12 executes the process of step ST6. In step ST5 YES, since the impact object passing time has elapsed even though no impact was detected, the control unit 12 determines that the impact object included in the image was erroneously recognized, and executes the process of step ST6.

[0094] On the other hand, if the impact object passing time has not elapsed (step ST5 NO), the control unit 12 repeatedly executes the processing from step ST4.

[0095] In this way, in the control method according to the fourth embodiment, the event file recording process is not executed from the time when the event recording process is controlled to cause a non-recording period in step ST3 until the time when the event recording process is controlled to be executed in step ST6. During this time, the vehicle passes over the impact object. Therefore, the control method according to the fourth embodiment can more reliably prevent the recording process of an event file unrelated to the accident from being executed.

[0096] 12 , in step ST4, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the vehicle detects an impact. However, in the control method according to the fourth embodiment, step ST4 may be omitted. That is, the control unit 12 may control the event recording process of the drive recorder to execute the process of step ST6 depending on whether or not the step passing time has elapsed (step ST5).

[0097] Here, the effect of executing step ST4 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a state when a vehicle passes over a step. In Fig. 13, the step IP1 and points S1 to S3 have the same configuration as those shown in Fig. 2. The lower part of Fig. 13 shows a state when the vehicle C1 passes over the step IP1 at twice the speed compared to the upper part of Fig. 13.

[0098] 13, the vehicle C1 passes over the step IP1 four seconds after passing the point S1. The control unit 12 then controls the event recording process of the drive recorder so that the event process of the drive recorder is executed again four seconds after passing the point S1.

[0099] In the lower part of Fig. 13, the vehicle speed of vehicle C1 is twice as fast as in the upper part of Fig. 13, so vehicle C1 passes step IP1 two seconds after point S1. In the lower part of Fig. 13, vehicle C1 is located away from step IP1 two seconds after point S3 (four seconds after point S1).

[0100] In the case of the lower part of Fig. 13, if the event recording process of the drive recorder is controlled so that the event processing of the drive recorder is executed again four seconds after the passage of time from point S1 (two seconds after the passage of time from point S3), as in the case of the upper part of Fig. 13, two seconds of event data will not be recorded from point S3. That is, in the lower part of Fig. 13, because the step IP1 is passed two seconds after the passage of time from point S1, it is preferable that the control unit 12 control the event recording process of the drive recorder so that the event processing of the drive recorder is executed again two seconds after the passage of time from point S1.

[0101] Two seconds after the point S1, the vehicle C1 passes over the step IP1, causing an impact. Therefore, the control unit 12 determines whether the vehicle has detected an impact, and can control the event recording process of the drive recorder so that the event process of the drive recorder is executed again at a more appropriate timing.

[0102] (Embodiment 5) <Height of Impacting Object> A control system according to embodiment 5 will be described. The control system according to embodiment 5 includes an analysis unit 14, a calculation unit 11, and a control unit 12, similar to the control system according to embodiment 2 shown in FIG. 4. Hereinafter, the control system according to embodiment 5 will be referred to as control system 50. Like the control system 40 according to embodiment 4, the control system 50 is configured to be able to communicate with the recording device 13. The calculation unit 11 and the recording device 13 are similar to those in embodiment 4, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. Here, the analysis unit 14 and the control unit 12 will be described. In embodiment 5, similar to embodiment 4, the recording device 13 will be described as a drive recorder.

[0103] The analysis unit 14 analyzes information about the height of the impacting object from the image. Then, the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder so that a non-recording period occurs when the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is less than a predetermined value but is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Here, the height of the impacting object being less than a predetermined value may be determined, for example, by using the vehicle's minimum ground clearance (also known as road clearance).

[0104] <Control of Event Recording Process Based on Height of Impacting Object> With reference to FIG. 14 , an example of the control unit 12 controlling the event recording process based on height information of the impacting object will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing whether or not an impact is detected depending on the vehicle speed and the height of the impacting object. Generally, the faster the vehicle speed, the more likely the vehicle is to receive an impact even if the height of the impacting object is low. In FIG. 14 , if the point plotted with the vehicle speed and the height of the impacting object falls within region R1, the drive recorder will not detect an impact even if the vehicle receives an impact from the impacting object. On the other hand, if the point plotted with the vehicle speed and the impacting object falls within region R2, the drive recorder will detect an impact when the vehicle receives an impact from the impacting object.

[0105] That is, when the point where the vehicle speed and the impacting object are plotted is included in region R1, the drive recorder does not detect an impact and therefore does not execute the event recording process, and therefore the control unit 12 does not control the event recording process of the drive recorder to enter a non-recording period. On the other hand, when the point where the vehicle speed and the impacting object are plotted is included in region R2, the drive recorder detects an impact and therefore the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder to enter a non-recording period.

[0106] The control system 50 acquires information about the vehicle speed from the vehicle. For example, when the speed is 60 km / h, the control unit 12 determines from Fig. 14 that the height of the impacting object that controls the event recording process is 10 mm or more. Then, when the height of the impacting object is 10 mm or more based on the information about the height of the impacting object from the analysis unit 14, the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder so that a non-recording period occurs because the impacting object falls within region R2.

[0107] Here, the control unit 12 may control the event recording process based on information about the height of the impacting object stored in a memory unit that stores whether or not the event recording process is being executed. For example, a control system according to the fifth embodiment includes a memory unit 15, an analysis unit 14, a calculation unit 11, and a control unit 12, similar to the control system 21 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6. This control system is referred to as a control system 51. The configuration of the control system 51 other than the memory unit 15 and the control unit 12 is the same as that of the control system 21 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Here, the memory unit 15 and the control unit 12 will be described in detail.

[0108] The storage unit 15 stores whether or not to execute the event recording process depending on the height of the impacting object. This will be described in more detail with reference to Table 1 shown in the second embodiment.

[0109] The control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder as follows, based on the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 and the information in Table 1 pre-stored in the memory unit 15. If the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is less than the predetermined height at which the event recording process is being executed in the memory unit 15, but is equal to or greater than the height of the impacting object, the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder to enter a non-recording period. For example, if the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is 4 mm, the impacting object event detection process has been executed based on Table 1, so the control unit 12 controls the event recording process to enter a non-recording period. This allows the control system 51 to prevent the execution of recording process for event files unrelated to the accident.

[0110] Furthermore, when the memory unit 15 stores multiple impact object heights determined by the analysis unit 14, the control unit 12 may identify a shape identical or similar to the shape of the impact object contained in the image from the memory unit and control the event recording process of the drive recorder. For example, if the analysis unit 14 determines that the impact object height is 3 mm, in the example shown in Table 1, two event recording processes for a 3 mm height are stored in the memory unit. In this case, the control unit 12 acquires information about the shape of the impact object contained in the image from the analysis unit 14. The control unit 12 then determines whether the event recording process has been performed for an impact object having a shape identical or similar to the shape acquired by the analysis unit 14. For example, if the shape acquired by the analysis unit 14 is an uneven shape, Table 1 shows that the event detection process has been performed for an impact object with a height of 3 mm and an uneven shape. Therefore, the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder to enter a non-recording period.

[0111] In addition, if the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is not stored in the memory unit 15, the control unit 12 may control the event recording process of the drive recorder based on whether or not to perform the event recording process according to the height value closest to the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14.

[0112] Note that the control unit 12 does not control the event recording process to cause a non-recording period if the height of the impacting object determined by the analysis unit 14 is equal to or less than the height of the impacting object for which the event recording process has not been executed in the memory unit. This is because the event recording process will not be executed even if the control unit 12 does not control the event recording process to cause a non-recording period.

[0113] In this way, the control systems 50 and 51 according to the fifth embodiment control the event recording process of the drive recorder so that a non-recording period occurs when the height of the impacting object as determined by the analysis unit 14 is less than a predetermined value and greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0114] The control systems 50 and 51 also set predetermined criteria, such as those shown in FIG. 14 or Table 1, and control the event recording process based on the height information of the impacting object from the analysis unit 14. In conventional technology, even if a location is registered as an impact detection malfunction location, if the road surface shape changes due to construction, disaster, or other reasons, an impact may be detected and the event recording process may be executed. However, once the predetermined criteria are set, the control systems 50 and 51 can control the event recording process. Therefore, the control systems 50 and 51 can more reliably prevent the recording process of event files unrelated to accidents from being executed. The control systems 50 and 51 may also acquire the magnitude of the impact when an impacting object passes through, store information linking the height of the impacting object with the magnitude of the impact, and set a non-recording period for the height of the detected impacting object if the magnitude of the impact is below a predetermined impact value.

[0115] The control system 51 may be configured to store the position information, shape, and height of the impacting object in the memory unit 15. By using such a configuration, the control system 51 can further improve the accuracy of the predetermined standard. The control system 51 may also capture images of the impacting object before it passes using the front camera of the drive recorder and images of the impacting object after it passes using the rear camera of the drive recorder. This allows the control system 51 to more accurately recognize the height, shape, etc. of the impacting object and store them in the memory unit 15, thereby further improving the accuracy of the predetermined standard. All or part of the control system 51 may be configured as a server (not shown).

[0116] <Control Method> Next, a control method according to the fifth embodiment will be described. Fig. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the fifth embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 15 differs from the flowchart shown in Fig. 12 in that steps ST11 and ST12 are executed. The other processing is the same as in Fig. 12, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0117] Following step ST1, the control system 50 (51) analyzes information about the height of the impacting object from the image (step ST11). Here, the height of the impacting object that is less than a predetermined height, for example, less than the vehicle's minimum ground clearance, is analyzed. The control system 50 (51) then determines whether the analyzed height of the impacting object is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step ST12).

[0118] If the control system 50 (51) determines that the height of the impacting object analyzed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (YES in step ST12), the control system 50 (51) executes the processes from step ST2 onward. That is, the control system 50 (51) controls the event recording process of the drive recorder so that a non-recording period occurs.

[0119] On the other hand, if the control system 50 (51) does not determine that the height of the impacting object analyzed is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (NO in step ST12), the control system 50 (51) repeats the process from step ST1. In other words, the control system 50 (51) does not control the event recording process of the drive recorder so as to create a non-recording period.

[0120] (Embodiment 6) <Vehicle Information> A control system according to embodiment 6 will be described. Similar to the control system according to embodiment 3 shown in FIG. 8 , the control system according to embodiment 6 includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 16, a calculation unit 11, and a control unit 12. Hereinafter, the control system according to embodiment 6 will be referred to as a control system 60. Similar to embodiments 4 and 5, the control system 60 is configured to be able to communicate with the recording device 13. The calculation unit 11 and the recording device 13 are similar to those in embodiments 4 and 5, and therefore will not be described here. Here, the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 and the control unit 12 will be described. Similar to embodiments 4 and 5, the recording device 13 will be described as a drive recorder in embodiment 6. Furthermore, all or part of the control system 60 may be configured as a server (not shown). This allows information related to the height of the impacting object and the non-recording period stored in the memory unit 15 to be shared with other vehicles.

[0121] The vehicle information acquisition unit 16 acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle. The vehicle information includes, for example, information related to the vehicle class and weight. For example, the vehicle information is "a 1,500 kg standard automobile" or "a 13 ton dump truck." The control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder based on the vehicle information so as to enter a non-recording period.

[0122] <Control of Event Recording Process Based on Vehicle Information> An example of the control of the event recording process by the control unit 12 based on vehicle information will be described with reference to FIG. 16 . FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing whether or not impact detection occurs depending on vehicle speed and vehicle weight. Generally, the faster the vehicle speed, the more impact the vehicle receives, even if the vehicle weight is lighter. In FIG. 16 , if the point plotted for vehicle speed and vehicle weight falls within region R3, the drive recorder does not detect an impact even if the vehicle receives an impact from an impacting object. On the other hand, if the point plotted for vehicle speed and vehicle weight falls within region R4, the drive recorder detects an impact when the vehicle receives an impact from an impacting object.

[0123] That is, when the point where the vehicle speed and vehicle weight are plotted is included in region R3, the drive recorder does not detect an impact and therefore does not execute the event recording process, and therefore the control unit 12 does not control the event recording process of the drive recorder to enter a non-recording period. On the other hand, when the point where the vehicle speed and vehicle weight are plotted is included in region R4, the drive recorder detects an impact and therefore the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder to enter a non-recording period.

[0124] The control system 60 acquires information about the vehicle speed from the vehicle. For example, when the speed is 60 km / h, the control unit 12 determines from Fig. 16 that the vehicle weight for controlling the event recording process is 1200 kg or more. If the information about the vehicle weight acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 is 1500 kg, the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder so that the non-recording period is entered because the vehicle weight falls within region R4.

[0125] Here, the control unit 12 may control the event recording process based on information about the vehicle stored in a storage unit that stores whether or not the event recording process is being executed. For example, a control system according to the sixth embodiment includes a storage unit 17, a vehicle information acquisition unit 16, a calculation unit 11, and a control unit 12, similar to the control system 31 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 10. This control system is referred to as a control system 61. The configuration of the control system 61 other than the storage unit 17 and the control unit 12 is the same as that of the control system 31 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 10, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Here, the storage unit 17 and the control unit 12 will be described in detail.

[0126] The storage unit 17 stores information about the vehicle, indicating whether or not an event recording process has been performed. This will be described in more detail with reference to Table 2 shown in the third embodiment.

[0127] The control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder based on the information related to the vehicle weight acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 and the information related to the vehicle speed acquired by the control system 61. For example, assume that the control unit 12 acquires information related to the vehicle weight such as "13 tons" and information related to the vehicle speed such as "50 km / h." In this case, since the event recording process is being performed according to Table 2, the control unit 12 controls the event recording process of the drive recorder so as to enter a non-recording period. This allows the control system 61 to prevent the recording process of an event file unrelated to an accident from being performed.

[0128] In addition, when the information regarding the vehicle weight acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 is not stored in the memory unit 17, the control unit 12 may control the event recording processing of the drive recorder based on whether or not to execute the event recording processing according to the vehicle weight that is closest to the acquired vehicle weight.

[0129] Note that the control unit 12 does not control the event recording process to cause a non-recording period if the information on vehicle weight acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 16 and the information on vehicle speed acquired by the control system 61 are vehicle weight and vehicle speed for which the event recording process has not been executed in the storage unit 17. This is because the event recording process will not be executed even if the control unit 12 does not control the event recording process to cause a non-recording period.

[0130] In this way, the control systems 60 and 61 according to the sixth embodiment control the event recording process of the drive recorder based on the vehicle information so as to create a non-recording period. Even if the impacting object is the same, if the vehicle class, load, and speed are different, the impact on the vehicle will be different. Therefore, the control systems 60 and 61 can more reliably prevent the recording process of an event file unrelated to the accident from being executed.

[0131] Naturally, the control systems 60, 61 may further include the aforementioned analysis unit 14, and may control the event recording process of the drive recorder so as to enter a non-recording period based on information regarding the height of the impacting object and vehicle information.

[0132] <Control Method> Next, a control method according to the sixth embodiment will be described. Fig. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the sixth embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 17 differs from the flowchart shown in Fig. 12 in that steps ST111 and ST112 are executed. The other processing is the same as in Fig. 3, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0133] Following step ST1, the control system 60 (61) acquires information about the vehicle weight (step ST111), and then determines whether the vehicle weight is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step ST112).

[0134] When the control system 60 (61) determines that the acquired vehicle weight is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (YES in step ST112), the control system 60 (61) executes the processes from step ST2 onward. That is, the control system 60 (61) controls the event recording process of the drive recorder so that a non-recording period occurs.

[0135] On the other hand, if the control system 60 (61) does not determine that the acquired vehicle weight is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (NO in step ST112), the control system 60 (61) repeats the process from step ST1. In other words, the control system 60 (61) does not control the event recording process of the drive recorder so as to create a non-recording period.

[0136] The first to sixth embodiments have been described above. In the control systems according to the first to third embodiments, the recording process of event files unrelated to accidents is executed and temporarily recorded in the recording device, but after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed over the impact object, the event files unrelated to accidents are deleted from the recording device. This configuration allows the event files necessary for the user to be managed appropriately.

[0137] Furthermore, the control systems according to the fourth to sixth embodiments calculate the impact object passing time from the image, and control the event recording process so that a non-recording period is set in which no event recording process is executed based on the impact object passing time. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent the recording process of an event file unrelated to the accident from being executed.

[0138] In other words, in the control systems according to the first to sixth embodiments, the control unit executes the following process. Based on the impacting object passing time, the control unit controls the recording device to delete the event records for the impacting object passing time after the impacting object passes, or to not execute the event recording process before the impacting object passes, resulting in a non-recording period. This configuration more reliably prevents the recording process of event files unrelated to the accident from being executed.

[0139] Some or all of the processes in the control systems and control methods according to the first to sixth embodiments described above can be realized as a computer program. Such programs can be stored on various types of non-transitory computer-readable media and supplied to a computer. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible recording media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). Furthermore, the programs may be supplied to a computer by various types of temporary computer-readable media. Examples of temporary computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can supply the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire or an optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0140] The present disclosure has been described above in accordance with the above-described embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and naturally includes various modifications, alterations, and combinations that a person skilled in the art could make within the scope of the claims of the present application.

[0141] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-219071 filed on December 26, 2023, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-160731 filed on September 18, 2024, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties.

[0142] The present invention can be used in recording devices, such as drive recorders.

[0143] 10, 20, 21, 30, 31, 40, 50, 51, 60, 61 Control system 11 Calculation unit 12 Control unit 13 Recording device 14 Analysis unit 15, 17 Storage unit 16 Vehicle information acquisition unit C1 Vehicle IP1 Step R1, R2, R3, R4 Area S1, S2, S3 Point

Claims

1. A control system for controlling a recording device that executes event recording processing associated with impact detection of a vehicle, the control system comprising: a calculation unit that calculates an impact object passing time indicating a time from the current time until the vehicle passes the impact object based on an image including a stationary impact object existing on a road surface that imparts an impact to the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the recording device so that, based on the impact object passing time, event recording is deleted for a period corresponding to the impact object passing time after passing the impact object or the event recording processing is not executed before passing the impact object.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the recording device to delete, from the event records of the recording device, event records at the time when the vehicle passes the impact object and corresponding to the impact object passing time, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the recording device so that, if the image includes a stopped state of the vehicle or a person or object in contact with the vehicle before a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object, deletion of the event records after the predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object is not executed.

4. The control system according to claim 2, further comprising an analysis unit that analyzes information regarding the height of the impact object from the image, wherein the control unit controls the recording device to delete the event records corresponding to the impact object passing time when the height of the impact object by the analysis unit is less than a predetermined height of the vehicle and equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

5. The control system according to claim 4, further comprising a storage unit that stores whether or not to execute event recording processing according to the height of the impact object, wherein the control unit controls the recording device to delete the event records corresponding to the impact object passing time when the height of the impact object by the analysis unit is equal to or greater than the height of the impact object for which event recording processing is executed in the storage unit.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the event recording processing so that, before the vehicle passes the impact object, a non-recording period is set during which the recording device does not execute the event recording processing, based on the impact object passing time.

7. The control system according to claim 6, further comprising an analysis unit that analyzes information regarding the height of the impact object from the image, wherein the control unit controls the event recording process such that the recording device enters the non-recording period when the height of the impact object by the analysis unit is less than a predetermined height of the vehicle and equal to or more than a predetermined value.

8. The control system according to claim 7, further comprising a storage unit that stores whether to execute event recording processing according to the height of the impact object, wherein the control unit controls the event recording process such that the recording device enters the non-recording period when the height of the impact object by the analysis unit is equal to or more than the height of the impact object for which event recording processing is being executed in the storage unit.

9. The control system according to claim 8, further comprising a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information regarding the vehicle, wherein the storage unit stores whether to execute event recording processing according to the vehicle information, and the control unit controls the event recording process such that the recording device enters the non-recording period when the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit is the vehicle information for which event recording processing is being executed in the storage unit.

10. A control method for controlling a recording device that executes event recording processing associated with impact detection of a vehicle, the method including: calculating an impact object passing time indicating a time from the current time until the vehicle passes the impact object based on an image including a stationary impact object existing on a road surface that imparts an impact to the vehicle; and controlling the recording device such that, based on the impact object passing time, event recording for the impact object passing time is deleted after the vehicle passes the impact object or the event recording process is not executed before the vehicle passes the impact object, the process being executed by a computer.

11. The control method according to claim 10, controlling the recording device to delete, from the event records of the recording device, the event record at the time when the vehicle passes the impact object and corresponding to the impact object passing time, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle passed the impact object.

12. The control method according to claim 10, controlling the event recording process based on the impact object passing time such that the recording device enters a non-recording period in which the event recording process is not executed, before the vehicle passes the impact object.

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